You don’t own a cat, he is a free citizen. Take dogs; dogs are friendly and fun and loyal. But slaves. Not their fault, they’ve been bred for it. But slavery makes me queasy, even in animals.
― Robert A Heinlein, Farham’s Freehold
Category: Animal Quotes
Mr. Breeze
Quote: William S. Burroughs on Cats
Evidence indicates that cats were first tamed in Egypt. The Egyptians stored grain, which attracted rodents, which attracted cats. (No evidence that such a thing happened with the Mayans, though a number of wild cats are native to the area.) I don’t think this is accurate. It is certainly not the whole story. Cats didn’t start as mousers. Weasels and snakes and dogs are more efficient as rodent-control agents. I postulate that cats started as psychic companions, as Familiars, and have never deviated from this function.
— William S. Burroughs, “The Cat Inside“
Quote: Mark Twain On Cats
When a man loves cats, I am his friend and comrade, without further introduction.
— Mark Twain, source unspecified.
Quote: G.A. Reisner On A Dog In Ancient Egypt
The dog which was the guard of His Majesty. Abuwtiyuw is his name. His Majesty ordered that he be buried (ceremonially), that he be given a coffin from the royal treasury, fine linen in great quantity, (and) incense. His Majesty (also) gave perfumed ointment, and (ordered) that a tomb be built for him by the gangs of masons. His Majesty did this for him in order that he (the dog) might be honored (before the great god, Anubis).
— G.A. Reisner, Trans., “The Dog Which was Honored by the King of Upper and Lower Egypt” BMFA 34, No. 206 (December 1936), pp. 96-99
Quotes: The Instruction of Ankhsheshonq on Cats
The Instruction of Ankhsheshonq is an ancient Egyptian papyrus containing maxims, words to live by.
Do not laugh at a cat.
A cat that loves fruit hates him who eats it.
Quote: Mark Twain On Cats
If animals could speak, the dog would be a blundering outspoken fellow; but the cat would have the rare grace of never saying a word too much.
— Mark Twain, Mark Twain’s Own Autobiography: The Chapters from the North American Review
Quote: Mikhail Bulgakov on Cats
“Is that vodka?” Margarita asked weakly.
The cat jumped up in his seat with indignation.
“I beg pardon, my queen,” he rasped, “Would I ever allow myself to offer vodka to a lady? This is pure alcohol!”
— Mikhail Bulgakov, The Master and Margarita
Quote: Napoleon Bonaparte on Dogs
If you build an army of 100 lions and their leader is a dog, in any fight, the lions will die like a dog. But if you build an army of 100 dogs and their leader is a lion, all dogs will fight as a lion.
— Napoleon Bonaparte
Quote: Théophile Gautier on Cats
Once [a cat] has given its love, what absolute confidence, what fidelity of affection! It will make itself the companion of your hours of work, of loneliness, or of sadness. It will lie the whole evening on your knee, purring and happy in your society, and leaving the company of creatures of its own society to be with you.
— Théophile Gautier, Ménagerie Intime
Quote: Lewis Carroll on Cats
And how do you know that you’re mad? “To begin with,” said the Cat, “a dog’s not mad. You grant that?” “I suppose so,” said Alice. “Well then,” the Cat went on, “you see a dog growls when it’s angry, and wags it’s tail when it’s pleased. Now I growl when I’m pleased, and wag my tail when I’m angry. Therefore I’m mad.”
— Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass
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